12 Things Coronavirus
Won't Stop You Having in Your "Rule of Five"
Wedding

Since the "rule of five"
restrictions on weddings were announced by the
Prime Minister as part of measures to slow the
spread of COVID-19 numerous other restrictions
have been announced by various states and
territories. It feels as if every day there is a
new restriction.

So it is perfectly understandable that there is a
lot of confusion about what you can and cannot
have for your wedding. And it is understandable
why there is a widespread belief that a "rule of
five" wedding is limited to the legal requirements
only.

Rule of Five wedding
restrictions

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A "rule of five" wedding means that the
following restrictions apply

only the 5 people required for the marriage
to be legal can be present. These are the two
of you (the marrying couple), your 2 adult
witnesses, and your celebrant

the 5 of you must be physically in the same
unbroken space

that space must be a minimum of 20 square
metres to fulfil the space allocation
requirement of 4 square metres (the size of a
king-size mattress) for each of you

you must maintain social distancing between
those present who don't live in the same
household

However, the good news is that there are so
many other things that are not restricted.

12 things you can have
for your "Rule of Five" wedding ceremony

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You may have your ceremony anywhere that
fulfils the space allocation requirements
and is not otherwise restrictedThis means you can have the ceremony at
home, or in your front or back yard, but you
can also have your ceremony in a park, at a
venue. At the moment of writing many public
places, including beaches, are restricted, and
those restrictions can change day by day, so
it is advisable to keep checking.

You may have your ceremony any
time of the day, or night

You may have your ceremony videoed and/or
photographed

Your witnesses can take photographs or
shoot a video while the ceremony is going
on.

A professional photographer can also be
one of your witnesses, as can a professional
videographer, and they can take photos or
shoot footage at the same time

A professional videographer can set up a
camera on a tripod before you arrive, set it
going and return after the ceremony to
retrieve the camera. Pro-tip: you will need
to be able to provide the videographer with
exact details of where you will be standing
for the ceremony. The easiest way of
achieving this is for your videographer to
meet your celebrant on site (legal meeting
between two people in a public place), set
up, and then leave.

You can invite as many people as you like
to your ceremony, via live streaming
Most of us have access to some sort of
affordable technology that allows us to share
what we are doing with others in real time.
Some preparation is prudent. Check
connectivity, and the reliability of the
connection at the place you intend to have the
ceremony. You can hire a professional to
supply and set up what you need, but that
person would need to leave unless they are
also a witness.

Your loved ones can phone it in
If your loved ones are not able to be present
to give their blessing to your marriage, or
participate in your ceremony in other ways,
they can do so on the phone or over live
streaming software.

You can have musicObviously not wildly loud music, but your
choice of music and a bluetooth speaker, and
you're good to go. Live music is not an option
- unless one of you or one of your witnesses
has a portable instrument like a guitar,
violin, or flute. But, given how far the sound
travels, you could possibly find a bagpiper
who can provide music from afar, coordinated
via text!

You can make personal promises/vowsThe ceremony is not restricted
just to the two legal components (the
statement that the Celebrant has to make and
the legal words you each have to say to create
your marriage. You can make personal promises.
And, with no guests to get restless, they can
be as long as you like. I do have some advice,
though. Don't make them a surprise to one
another. Use the extra time that being in
lockdown have given us all to work on them
together, negotiate what you will both
promise, because what you are doing is setting
goals for your marriage.

You can exchange rings, or not, as
you wishExchanging rings is not a legal
requirement. You will be just as legally
married whether or not you exchange rings,
something else, or nothing at all.For
many of us, actually going out and purchasing
forever rings might be difficult. So many
shops are closed. But check out your local
small independent jeweller. They could use the
business. If you do have forever rings,
wonderful. If you don't, you can do
something fun and temporary - the only limit
is your imagination. I've had couples ties red
string on one another's fingers, exchange fun
big OTT plastic rings, rings made out of
keyrings with a small silk flower attached,
rings made from plaited grass, etc etc. If you
do that, or skip the rings altogether, and you
plan to have a big non-legal wedding or
celebratory party when we can legally gather
in large numbers again, your rings can be a
feature. Even if you're not having another
ceremony, exchange rings and make ring vows to
one another just before you cut your cake at
.your party. (Of course there will be cake!).

You can include a ritualSome rituals will be easier to include
than others. It would be wise to choose a
ritual that

requires only the two of you to
participate

doesn't involve anyone else handing you
something

but don't dismiss a ritual out of hand just
because it has always been done in a
particular way. For example, handfasting
always involves at least one other person to
place and tie the cord/ribbons, but I've
developed a workaround.

You can stand next to one another, hold
hands, and kissAssuming that you are living together!Your celebrant, and your witnesses will
need to keep their distance, unless they are
also living in the same household with you.

You can wear whatever you like - dress
up, dress down, wear fancy dress, whatever!By all means wear the beautiful wedding
dress you chose with your much bigger wedding
in mind. And get double value by wearing it
again when you can have your non-legal big
white wedding and/or party. Or wear something
else.

You can carry a bouquet, and pin on a
boutonniereFlorists, bless them, are still working
and providing flowers.

Acknowledge the situation - or ignore itI've had couples do both. And, funnily
enough, acknowledging adds fun and joy. I hand
the certificate at the end to one of the
marrying couple using a fencer's lunge and
outstretched arm, with the recipient also
reaching across to take it. Lots of laughs and
great photos. Do the photo thing with everyone
standing with outstretched arms, but not
touching. I also use a long piece of dowel to
point out where each person needs to sign
without moving in close. Including these
measures in your photos will provide a great
visual reminder and talking point as you
explain these extraordinary times to children,
grandchildren and others. Imagine the fun when
the photos are projected at your 50th
anniversary celebrations.

Your marriage will be
registered as normal

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As your celebrant, it is part of my statutory
obligation to forward your marriage details to the
Registry Office for registration.

Don't forget that all
the important things haven't changed

ost

Your love

Your commitment to one another and your
marriage

The requirement to give a minimum of a clear
calendar month's Notice of your Intended
Marriage

The requirement to prove your date and place
of birth and your identity to your celebrant
by showing official documents

The requirement to prove that you are free
to marry by showing your divorce certificate
or the death certificate of your former spouse

The requirement to make and sign the
Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage